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This pizza chicken recipe has all the best pizza vibes in one easy chicken dinner! It’s smothered in pizza sauce and has plenty of pepperoni, tomatoes, and melty cheese.
You may also enjoy my Easy French Bread Pizza or Super Easy Pizza Pasta Bake next.
This post is sponsored by our long-term partner DeLallo – thank you for supporting the brands that keep Salt & Lavender cooking! I only work with brands whose products I love. All opinions are my own.
Why you’ll love it
Juicy, golden, and tender pan-fried chicken is dressed up with pizza flavors in this delicious meal! This cheesy kid-approved chicken recipe is so simple to make on busy weeknights. It’s perfect for comfort food cravings when you can’t decide between chicken and pizza.
The key to this dish is high-quality, affordable ingredients. I enjoy ordering in pizza as much as the next person, but it definitely adds up. Using DeLallo’s gourmet yet totally budget-friendly ingredients means you’ll get amazing pizza flavors without breaking the bank!
What you’ll need
- Chicken – we’re using boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Garlic powder – along with salt & pepper, this infuses flavor right onto the cutlets
- Olive oil – for pan frying
- Pizza sauce – DeLallo’s Pizzeria Style Pizza Sauce has naturally sweet vine-ripened Roma tomatoes, garlic, and fragrant herbs and spices. It’s rich, tangy, and irresistible!
- Pepperoni – DeLallo’s Sliced Pepperoni is robust, zesty, top quality, and crafted from a homestyle Italian recipe
- Tomato – use whatever variety looks good at the grocery store
- Mozzarella – a classic easy-melting cheese
- Basil – it goes great with the tomatoes for a pop of freshness
Pro tip
DeLallo is a family-owned company based in Pennsylvania. If your local grocer doesn’t stock them, you can shop online and have all their authentic Italian goodies delivered nationwide right to your home. They have everything from pasta to olives to charcuterie and more!
How to make pizza chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Preheat the oven. Season the chicken with the garlic powder and salt & pepper. Heat up the oil in a skillet, and pan-fry the chicken until golden on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a 9×13 baking dish.
Pour the pizza sauce into the dish, spooning it onto the chicken. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over top of the chicken. Arrange the tomato slices and pepperoni.
Bake, uncovered, until the chicken is nearly cooked through. Let it rest for a few minutes (it’ll finish cooking and stay juicy), then sprinkle with the chopped fresh basil.
Helpful tip
- It’s a good idea to have an instant read thermometer because chicken breasts are easy to overcook and timing will vary depending on the size of them. If you take the chicken out of the oven when it’s around 160F, it should rise to 165F (safe to eat) after 5 minutes of resting.
Substitutions and variations
- You can easily mix up the toppings! I love pepperoni and fresh tomatoes, but you could add olives such as DeLallo’s Sliced Black Olives or pineapple or whatever pizza toppings are your favorite.
- Use another easy-melting cheese like cheddar in addition to or instead of mozzarella if you prefer.
What to serve with pizza chicken
- My Garlic Bread makes a cozy pairing. Fresh sourdough would be great too, especially with some DeLallo Modena Balsamic Vinegar and olive oil for dipping it into. Or toast it lightly like I do!
- Pictured in the photo is my light and simple Parmesan Arugula Salad. A big Caesar salad with my 10-Minute Caesar Dressing is another fantastic option.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers for 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat on the stove or in short intervals in the microwave until warmed through.
- I don’t recommend freezing this one due to the dairy and fresh tomato.
If you made this pizza chicken bake, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram with all your S&L creations.
Pizza Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (14 once) jar DeLallo Pizzeria Style Pizza Sauce
- 2 ounces DeLallo Sliced Pepperoni or to taste
- 1 medium tomato sliced
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- Fresh basil torn/chopped, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F and move the rack to the middle position.
- Season both sides of each piece of chicken with the garlic powder and salt & pepper.
- Add the oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, sear the chicken for 5 minutes/side.
- Transfer the chicken to a 9×13 casserole dish. Pour in the pizza sauce and spoon it evenly over/around the chicken.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella over each chicken breast.
- Top the chicken breasts with the tomato slices and pepperoni.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. If your chicken breasts are on the smaller side, try 15 minutes, and very large ones may need 25 minutes.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes prior to serving (this will ensure it's juicy). The chicken's temperature will continue rising a few degrees as it rests. Chicken is safe to eat at 165F.
- Sprinkle with fresh basil and enjoy!
Notes
- If you have a large, oven-safe skillet (I suggest at least 12″), you can use it for the recipe instead of transferring it to a casserole dish.
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Am I able to make this ahead?
Hi! There’s reheating instructions in the blog post. It’s probably best fresh, though.
Oh my goodness this was so good! I’ve been dying to make this ever since you posted it, and it exceeded my expectations. It was such an easy recipe, and came out perfectly. I served it with a crusty loaf of bread to soak up the extra sauce, and it was fabulous. Thank you so much Natasha! ❤️
Aww thank you, Jenny!! 😀 That makes me so happy!!